The Golden Gate: Children's Books about San Francisco

An annotated booklist compiled by the children's librarians at the San Francisco Public Library, June 2008. The books listed are a sampling of the titles available about San Francisco. Ask your Children’s Librarian for further suggestions, and tell us which are your favorites.

For Younger Readers

• Celebrating Hanukkah. By Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith.
  Holiday House, 1996. (j296.435 HOYT)
  The daughter of a local rabbi, 11-year-old Leora describes how and why her family observes this Jewish holiday.
  Also by this Author: Celebrating Chinese New Year (j394.261 HOYT)
• Humphrey, The Lost Whale: A True Story. By Wendy Tokuda and Richard Hall. Illus. by Hanako Wakiyama.
  Heian, 1986. (j599.5 TOKU)
  Citizens unite to attempt rescue of the humpback whale that swims into San Francisco Bay by mistake. (also available in Japanese)
• San Francisco'S Famous Sea Lions. By Kat Shehata. Illus. by Jo McElwee.
  Angel Bea, 2002. (j599.7975 SHEH)
  Learn about a colony’s relocation to Pier 39 from Seal Rock following the 1989 earthquake.
• The City by the Bay: A Magical Journey Around San Francisco. By Tricia Brown and the Junior League of San Francisco. Illus. by Elisa Kleven.
  Chronicle Books, 1993. (j917.9461 KLEV)
  Tour San Francisco’s varied neighborhoods and famous landmarks via colorfully whimsical collage art. (also available in Japanese)
• Barrio: José’s Neighborhood. By George Ancona.
  Harcourt, 1998. (j979.461 ANCO)
  Eight-year-old José explores the cultural life of his Mission District neighborhood. (also available in Spanish)
• Journey Around San Francisco from A to Z. By Martha Day Zschock.
  Editions, 2003. (j979.461 ZSCH)
  Brief alliterative sentences introduce this diverse city, while further details of sights and history are provided in accompanying text and detailed watercolor paintings.
• Meet My Grandmother: She’s a United States Senator. By By Lisa Tucker McElroy. Photos. by Joel Benjamin.
  Millbrook, 2000. (jB FEIN)
  Former mayor and U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein lives a busy life according to her enthusiastic 6-year-old granddaughter.
• Saint Francis. By Brian Wildsmith.
  Eerdmans, 1996. (jB FRAN)
  Elegantly illustrated life story of the patron saint of animals and the environment, after whom the City is named.
• Nim and the War Effort. By Milly Lee. Illus. by Yangsook Choi.
  Farrar, 1997. (jF LEE)
  A young girl works hard to win her school’s newspaper drive and to show the class bully that she is an American too. Set in Chinatown during World War II. Also: Landed.
• Xochitl and the Flowers. By Jorge Argueta. Illus. by Carl Angel.
  Children’s Book Press, 2003. (SPANISH jPS ARGU)
  A girl from El Salvador tells the inspiring story of her family’s backyard flower business in the Mission. Bilingual Spanish-English. Also: A Movie in My Pillow: Poems (SPANISH j861.64 ARGU)
• Pop’s Bridge. By Eve Bunting. Illus. by C.F. Payne.
  Harcourt, 2006. (jPS BUNT)
  Robert’s pride shines through as he describes his father’s work as a “skywalker” building the Golden Gate Bridge.
• Maybelle the Cable Car. By Virginia Lee Burton.
  Houghton Mifflin, 1997. (jPS BURT)
  San Francisco successfully fights to save its beloved cable care in this reissue of a classic picture story. (also available in Japanese)
• The Cable Car and the Dragon. By Herb Caen. Illus. by Barbara Ninde Byfield.
  Chronicle Books, 1986. (jPS CAEN)
  The late, great San Francisco columnist’s only book for children brings together San Francisco favorites – fog, a cable car, and the Chinese New Year parade.
• ABCDrive! By Naomi Howland.
  Clarion, 1994. (jPS HOWL)
  A car trip takes one boy and his mother past many familiar City sights.
• Earthquake. By Milly Lee. Illus. by Yangsook Choi.
  Farrar, 2001. (jPS Lee)
  The 1906 earthquake and fire force a Chinese American girl and her family to temporarily move from Chinatown to Golden Gate Park.
• He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands. By Kadir Nelson.
  Dial, 2005. (jPS NELS)
  The well-known spiritual is set visually in San Francisco.
• Our Community Garden. By Barbara Pollak.
  Beyond Words, 2004. (jPS POLL)
  A young girl and her friends participate in their San Francisco neighborhood garden and reap the rewards of a successful vegetable harvest.
• Lakas and Makibaka Hotel. By Anthony D. Robles. Illus. by Carl Angel. Translated by Eloisa D. de Jess.
  Children’s Book Press, 2006. (FILIPINO jPS ROBL)
  A Filipino boy helps organize a protest against the demolition of a hotel in his neighborhood. Bilingual English-Tagalog. Also: Lakas and the Manilatown Fish.
• Dancers in the Garden. By Joanne Ryder. Illus. by Judith Lopez.
  Sierra Club, 1992. (jPS RYDE)
  Imagine yourself as a hummingbird at the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park.
• Stella & Roy. By Ashley Wolff.
  Dutton, 1993. (jPS WOLF)
  Who will win the bike race around Golden Gate Park’s Stow Lake, the speedy Stella or her slow-but-steady younger brother?
• Hannah Is My Name. By Belle Yang.
  Candlewick, 2004. (jPS YANG)
  Based on her own childhood, the author tells about coming to San Francisco from Taiwan and anxiously awaiting the green cards that would make it legal for her parents to work.
• Nate the Great, San Francisco Detective. By Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Mitchell Sharmat. Illus. by Martha Weston.
  (jR SHAR)
  The famed boy detective and his dog solve yet another case, the first away from home.
• Good Night San Francisco. By Adam Gamble. Illus. by Santiago Cohen.
  Our World of Books, 2006.(jBOARD)
  For the youngest listeners, the City is presented throughout a day of sightseeing.

For Older Readers

• Exploratopia. By Pat Murphy, et al. Illus. by Jason Gorski.
  Little, Brown, 2006. (j507.8 MURP)
  Over 400 experiments to pique your curiosity and make you notice the world around you in new ways, from the staff of San Francisco’s Exploratorium.
• Golden Gate Bridge. By Jennifer Fandel.
  Creative Education, 2007. (j624.2309 FAND)
  Beautiful color photographs, “Quick Facts,” and a glossary enhance this historical survey of San Francisco’s “modern wonder.”
• Just Like Me. Edited by Harriet Rohmer.
  Children’s Book Press, 1997. (j704.942 JUST)
  Fourteen illustrators, published locally by Children’s Book Press, describe their artistic development in lively mini memoirs and vibrant self-portraits. Half hail from San Francisco.
• Evelyn Cisneros: Prima Ballerina. By Katherine E. Krohn.
  Capstone Press, 2007. (j792.8092 CISN)
  Introduction to the Mexican-American star of the San Francisco Ballet from her childhood through her retirement in 1999.
• The Story of the San Francisco Giants. By Adele Richardson.
  Creative Education, 2008. (j796.357 RICH)
  Brief history of the City’s professional baseball team, from its beginnings in New York City to present day. Highlights key players at each position. See also: Mark Stewart’s The San Francisco 49ers (j796.3326 STEW)
• Working It Out: San Francisco Youth Solve Real Problems. By Laurence Yep.
  Streetside Stories, 2007. (j808.8 STRE 2007)
  A heartfelt anthology of creative writing by Middle School students, produced annually since 1994 by the San Francisco-based non-profit literacy arts program, Streetside Stories.
• Around San Francisco with Kids: 68 Great Things To Do Together 3rd edition. By Clark Norton.
  Fodor’s Travel, 2008. (j917.9461 FODO 2008)
  Informative and practical guide to activities to enjoy around the Bay Area, but especially in San Francisco. For a more inclusive, theme-based approach, see Elina Wong’s Kids’ Adventures Around San Francisco Bay. 2nd edition. (j917.9404 WONG)
• Hurry Freedom: African Americans in Gold Rush California. By Jerry Stanley.
  Crown, 2000. (j979.4004 STAN)
  A civil rights history that recounts how unparalleled opportunity and familiar prejudice affected African Americans in San Francisco’s early years.
• Mission San Francisco de Asis. by By Kathleen J. and Susan E. Edgar.
  PowerKids, 2000. (j979.461 EDGA)
  Introduces the mission system and mission life, with information on the local Ohlone Indians.
• Life in San Francisco’s Chinatown. By Sally Senzell Isaacs.
  Heinemann, 2003. (j979.461 ISAA)
  Clear and concise history of San Francisco’s Chinatown with interesting vintage photos and illustrations.
• West from Home. By Laura Ingalls Wilder. Edited by Roger Lea MacBride.
  HarperCollins, 1974. (j979.461 WILD)
  The author of the Little House series writes letters about her visit to San Francisco during the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
• San Francisco: A Mini-History. By Phyllis Zauner.
  Zanel, 1994. (j979.461 ZAUN)
  A potpourri of facts about San Francisco’s famous and infamous past and its landmarks.
• Angel Island. By Alice K. Flanagan.
  Compass Point, 2006. (j979.462 FLAN)
  A history of the island in San Francisco Bay that served as a U.S. Immigration Station, housed military missiles, and is now a national landmark.
• The Harvey Milk Story. By Kari Krakow. Illus. by David Gardner.
  Two Lives, 2002. (jB MILK)
  A picture book biography about the life and death of the gay rights leader and San Francisco City Supervisor.
• Nancy Pelosi. By Amie Jane Leavitt.
  Mitchell Lane, 2008. (jB PELO)
  Introductory biography of the San Francisco congresswoman who became the first female Speaker of the House of Representatives on January 4, 2007.
• Levi Strauss. By Stephanie Sammartino McPherson.
  Lerner, 2007. (jB STRA)
  Life story of the prominent San Francisco businessman and creator of blue jeans.
• The Lost Garden. By Laurence Yep.
  Messner, 1991. (jB YEP)
  The acclaimed children’s author describes his years growing up in the Western Addition.
• Someone is Hiding on Alcatraz Island. By Eve Bunting.
  Clarion, 1984. (jF BUNT)
  Escaping malicious classmates, Danny finds himself a prisoner on Alcatraz for one terrifying night.
• Al Capone Does My Shirts. By Gennifer Choldenko.
  Scholastic, 1992. (jF Savi)
  No one asks 12-year-old Moose how he feels about moving to Alcatraz so his father can work as a guard and his autistic sister can attend a special school. For an historical perspective and profiles of real kids, see Claire Rudolf Murphy’s Children of Alcatraz: Growing Up on the Rock (j979.461 MURP).
• Kai’s Journey to Gold Mountain: An Angel Island Story. By Katrina Saltonstall Currier. Illus. by Gabhor Utomo.
  Angel Island Association, 2005. (jF CURR)
  Heartwarming story, with attractive watercolor paintings, of a 12-year-old’s journey to join his father in America in 1934. Based on the life of a real person whose photos are included.
• By the Great Horn Spoon! By Sid Fleischman.
  Little, Brown, 1963. (jF FLEI)
  A 12-year-old Boston stowaway and his butler strike San Francisco gold in 1849 in this great read-aloud. (also available in Spanish) Also: Jim Ugly.
• Mama’s Bank Account. By Kathryn Forbes.
  Harcourt, 1971, 1943. (jF FORB)
  A large Norwegian immigrant family in the early 20th century counts on Mama’s legendary savings.
• San Francisco Earthquake, 1989. By Victoria Sherrow.
  Enslow, 1998 (j363.3495 Sher)
  The 7.1 Loma Prieta shaker and subsequent clean-up affected The City in many ways.
• Into the Firestorm. By Deborah Hopkinson.
  Knopf, 2006. (jF HOPK)
  Nick, an 11-year-old orphan runaway, has just settled in San Francisco when the 1906 earthquake strikes!
• Balloon Boy of San Francisco. By Dorothy Kupcha Leland.
  Tomato, 2004. (jF LELA)
  Early San Francisco comes alive in this story of a resourceful newspaper boy and his schemes to earn money.
• Julie and the Eagles, 1974. By Megan McDonald. Illus. by Robert Hunt.
  American Girl, 2007. (jF MCDO)
  Finding an injured owl in Golden Gate Park sparks Julie’s interest in bird conservation, in this series title. Also: Lisa Yee’s Good Luck, Ivy.
• Earthquake in the Early Morning. By Mary Pope Osborne. Illus. by Sal Murdocca.
  Random, 2001. (jF OSBO)
  The magic tree house takes Jack and Annie back to the 1906 earthquake and fire.
• PaperQuake: A Puzzle. By Kathryn Reiss.
  Harcourt, 1998. (jF REIS)
  A present-day 8th grader finds letters from 1906 that reveal an eerie similarity between her and a sickly young woman. What are they trying to tell her about an impending earthquake?
• Black and Blue Magic. By Zipha Keatley Snyder.
  Atheneum, 1966; Backinprint.com, 2004. (jF SNYD)
  Imagine flying over San Francisco late at night with your own wings. Harry Houdini Marco is given a chance to do just that!
• Taking Sides. By Gary Soto.
  Harcourt, 1991. (jF SOTO)
  After moving to the suburbs, Lincoln Mendoza misses the Mission, his basketball team, and his homeboys. (also available in Spanish)
• Peppermints in the Parlor. By Laurence Yep.
  HarperCollins, 1977. (jF YEP)
  When her father is mugged, Casey goes unwillingly to live with her grandmother in Chinatown. Also: The Chinatown Mystery and Tiger’s Apprentice series; The Amah; Angelfish; Cockroach Cooties; The Cook’s Family; The Imp That Ate My Homework; Later, Gator; Ribbons.
• The Dragon’s Child: A Story of Angel Island. By Laurence Yep.
  HarperCollins, 2008. (jF YEP)
  Fictionalized story of how Yep’s father came to San Francisco from China, based on transcripts of his U.S. immigration interview. Other historical fiction by Yep with an S. F. setting: The Earth Dragon Awakes; Dragonwings (also available in Chinese).